Even in those cases where in modern times lightning conductors have been applied to buildings, they are very often improperly fixed in the first instance, or, having once been put up, are never examined or tested with the view of ascertaining their constant efficiency. Several accidents owing their origin to one or the other of these causes have occurred quite recently. In May 1879, the church at Laughton-en-le-Morthen was struck by lightning and damaged in the manner described in Chapter XIII. The spire was fitted with a corrugated copper tube conductor the joints of which were made by screws and coupling-pieces, but there was no metallic contact between the lengths; the conductor was insulated from the building; and the earth-contact was obtained by bending the end of the tubing, and inserting it about twelve inches deep in dry loose rubbish! Such a conductor is worse than useless. If it had been examined by a competent person, it must at once have been utterly condemned. In June 1879, a disastrous result followed the use of a similar conductor erected upon a private house near Sheffield. In this case the corrugated tube forming the conductor contained too little metal, and it was insulated from the building. The examples show the necessity of leaving the design and erection of lightning conductors to those persons who have made a thorough study of the subject, since the work is by no means so free from complexity as is commonly supposed.
[Illustration: Fig. 40. ST. GEORGE’S CHURCH, LEICESTER.]
Figs. 40 and 41 show the tower and spire of St. George’s Church, Leicester, after being severely damaged by lightning on August 1st, 1846. The storm, during the course of which it was struck, was very violent, of prolonged duration, and accompanied by torrents of rain and hail. Mr. Charles Tomlinson, F.R.S., in his work on ‘The Thunderstorm,’ thus describes the catastrophe:—